


Warmth

by Fuzzinator23



Series: Dust: An Elysian Tail 2: Rise From The Ashes [2]
Category: Dust: An Elysian Tail
Genre: Dialogue Heavy, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-08
Updated: 2020-04-08
Packaged: 2021-03-01 16:41:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23530231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fuzzinator23/pseuds/Fuzzinator23
Summary: With her course set, Fidget heads to Blackmoor Mountain. What will she find there?
Relationships: Dust/Fidget (Dust: An Elysian Tail)
Series: Dust: An Elysian Tail 2: Rise From The Ashes [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1690840
Comments: 5
Kudos: 11





	Warmth

The winds picked up for Fidget as she flew towards the snowy mountains, already passing patches of snow that became miles of it. Nighttime made it's home in the sky not long after leaving her village, and she had a quick bite to eat from her. But sadly, her appetite was as voracious as ever as her satchel was now empty. So much for some food to eat. She dumped the unnecessary weight and continued forth into the mountain.

Fidget: "Well, time to see if what the tome said was right. I'm out of options as it is."

Unfurling the cloth, blocking her vision when it blew against her, she finally cleared her vision to see that the lantern was revealing the Way of the Flameless Light, towards the mountain in a trail of bright wisps just like Dust's spirit. Her heart and hopes soared as she started following the wisps without hesitation. But as soon as she started going up the hill, a spear landed in front of her, causing her to yell and nearly drop the lantern. The Beasts and their Wolves saw the light as a potential target or hunt, and Fidget was sure of the latter as she flew higher up.

Fidget: "Leave me alone, please!? I am not dealing with this right now!"

Her words came on deaf ears as the Beasts threw their spears and clubs at her, to which she avoided as best as she could while holding onto the Nimbat-sized lantern, yelping as the Wolves leaped up and snapped at her paws. She wanted to go higher, but the winds were only getting colder and she began to get lightheaded from the height she was at. They followed her for a good while up the mountain, the lantern leading them to her every rise and fall of snowy terrain. She couldn't keep flying forever because her wings were starting to lock up from the cold, and she was bound to run into Kush or Frites sooner or later.

After removing her scarf, she quickly wraps it around the lantern and hides in a tree, keeping her wings shut to avoid detection by the hunting pack as they drew closer. The Wolves sniffed around the trees while the Beasts look around the stones, their clubs and spears at the ready for some Nimbat Kebabs right now. Fidget held the lantern close, shivering and breathing rapidly as she tried to stay hidden, but keep warm as well, until the Beasts and Wolves left. Luck came to her in the form of a fight happening somewhere else in the mountains, Wolves howling before following their Beast masters towards the source of the sound.

A sigh of relief came from Fidget's mouth as she leaps from the pine tree and flies off. This would have happened, if her wings weren't frozen together. She cried out before falling into the snow, landing with a _plomp_ into the deep snow. Upon getting herself up, she found that her wings were frozen shut from holding her back and folded wings into the snow-covered pine tree. All she could do was hiss in pain and stand up, removing the scarf from the lantern to put back on her neck and to use her fireballs to warm her wings up on her back. Feeling a few pulses from the appendages, she gives them a few test flaps before taking her lantern to follow the wisps.

Blackmoor Mountain only got even more difficult the further she went up. Her wings nearly froze a few times, resulting in her having to hide from Beasts that got her where she was most vulnerable. It was getting harder to fly in the winds as they grew stronger and colder with every passing minute. Her head was still warm, but it was the dizziness and blurring vision that told her she caught something bad. And her stomach growled loudly at her from one point to the next, which almost had beasts finding where she hid. She couldn't even tell where she was on the mountain thanks to the stupid lantern. She rested under a pine tree from the on-going snow storm, shivering violently and breathed shakily, clutching to the lantern to her chest as tears began to fall from her eyes, stinging her cold fur and skin.

Fidget: _"I'm sorry Dust, I wasn't strong enough to find you. I'm sorry..."_

A distant glow shined on her half-lidded eyes, prompting her to blink the tears out and look up from the snow. They slowly widen and her form sat up a little more as the storm decided to calm down a little, revealing what she was looking for. A stone structure in the mountain-side, the wisps heading straight for the door to the temple and the moon above shining through the storm. Her eyes began to leak even more, but with renewed happiness to the welcoming sight.

Fidget: _"I... I found it. I found it!"_

She forces her body to stand up from the cold snow with what strength she had left and flew the remaining way to the temple. The closer she got, the more she saw of the temple. It looked to have been ancient from the busted, weather-worn pillars that lead to broken-in stone doors, but she didn't care at all about these things. She only worried about Dust. Her wings finally gave out as she passed the doorway, landing on the stone ground with a _thud!_ that caused the lantern to scatter across the ground in pieces. She stood up aching from the fall, seeing the scrapes on her paws and knees from the fall before looking to the broken Flameless Lantern.

Fidget: "Well, it got me this far. Gonna have to use my own Louta Nut now."

She spied a scorched torch on the wall nearby, barely held onto it's rusted hold and nails. Using her good arm and one of the lantern fragments, Fidget had to throw the pieces a few times before she busted the nails enough for the torch to fall, acquiring it in her paws. She noticed that the torch actually looked relatively fresh, a week old or so as she can still smell oil on it. Shakily walking down the sloping hall with the lit torch in paw, she scanned the walls with a hint of amazement to the ancient glyphs and statues that lined the hall. All of them were Moonbloods, some looked to be scholars in stone robes with staffs, others were generals with armor and swords of the same material. Fidget silently wondered how old these statues and glyphs were, groaning when she realized that her teacher kind of rubbed off on her.

A faint glow soon followed ahead, fidget's paws moving faster to the light until she was in an open chamber. Moonlight above poured in through a broken part of the roof onto snow-covered stone and fragmented blocks from the roof. A few statues had fallen and fractured into a few limbs and a couple heads, leaving who they once were an obscurity. But Fidget's eyes were on the slight snow-covered, glyph-inscribed pedestal close to the far back, where the Blade of Ahrah would rest until it's wielder would arrive for it.

It was nowhere to be seen, on the pedestal or around it in the snow.

Fidget: "W-What!? No! No no no!"

Dropping the torch into the snow as the flame was snuffed out by the white powder, the orange Nimbat ran to the pedestal to frantically search around the pedestal, going so far as to hit it with the torch, and search through the snow, ignoring the feverish heat on her face and the stinging of her paws and cuts.

Fidget: "Where is it!? Where is it?!... Damn it!"

Her search only came up empty handed, the sword or any traces of Dust weren't here at all: It was a dead end. Falling to her knees in front of the pedestal as her ears flop down with her, she stared at it with frustration and sorrow, tears threatening to fall from her eyes and choked sobs rising from her throat as she rests on her paws and knees. Her ears twitch upwards to a distant sound she heard coming from the doorway of the room, like footsteps.

Something was coming.

Wiping the tears roughly from her eyes, the Nimbat ran around behind the pedestal and pressed her back to it with her wings folded up, holding her tail between her legs to keep it from swishing. Her choked sobs still came out in fits, quickly covering it with both her paws. And in time too, for the footsteps entered the chamber. Fidget could only detect where the thing was with her ears, twitching them ever so often for adjusting. The thing walked over to the snow that was disturbed, feeling it with a hand to see what had made them, before moving to the torch in front of the pedestal. Fidget's body shook with fear and fever, eyes watering that this may be it for her. Even if she got out of the ruins, she couldn't climb down the whole mountain in her weakened state, let alone make it back to her clan. It was then that she heard the thing move around the pedestal, prompting her to close her eyes, feeling the sting of her tears for possibly the final time and brace herself for what might come.

She heard a gasp from whatever it was, a normal sounding gasp, as she heard the _clang!_ and _crack!_ of metal embedding itself into the stone before she felt a hand gently cup her face. It was warm to the touch, and... familiar.

???: "Fidget?"

Her shaking slowed to light trembling as she hesitantly opened her eyes. That voice... She only heard it so many times before. When her tear-filled eyes fully opened and her head looked up at who it was, she saw the ragged blue cap, the familiar black & aquamarine blue clothing, the satgat that covered his eyes. But if she was in the right position to see those eyes, those aquamarine blue pools that she only saw once before in Zeplich Village. Her face was expressed in both disbelief and shock to who she actually saw knelt right before her. The only person to say that he needed her the most. The only true friend she had to the very end of their journey.

Fidget: "D-....Dust?"

Dust's hand moved away from her face as she shakily sat up and and moved a hesitant paw towards him, a look of uncertainty on her face as she took his hand and felt the appendage and fabric. The warrior was unsure of what she was doing, watching her move a paw to his face to feel it.

Dust: "F-Fidget, what are you-"

His words were cut off as he felt her bops his nose, making him recoil back in shock and slight pain to the action.

Dust: "H-Hey! Why did you do that?"

The only answer he got was the orange Nimbat tackling into his chest, nearly falling over from the swift motion, before feeling her tremble and cry into his shirt, muffling weakly into it.

Fidget: _"It's you! I-It's really you, Dust!"_

Any annoyance he felt slowly melted away from his features as his arms slowly encase his Nimbat friend in a hug, a sad smile forming as he felt her wince to his touch.

Dust: "Yes, it's me Fidget."

Fidget: "I looked everywhere for you! I-I looked for weeks without end e-ever since I saw Ahrah and your spirit fly off! I-I was losing hope I would n-never find you at all!"

Dust: "Sshh, sshh, it's okay, Fidget. I'm here and I'm alright..."

He moved a paw to see her small form with a few cuts and blackened bruises on it, trembling and shivering in his hold as he felt it burn up in his arms. A frown formed on his lips as he carefully nudged her head back to see her teary eyes, shaky breath and fever-burning face, a drop of snot coming out of her right nostril. Worry build up in him to the sight of her in such a weary and injured state.

Dust: "Did... Did all of this happen because you were looking for me? How long have you been looking for me for?"

All she could do was weakly smile to him as she clung to his clothing, not wanting to let go of him.

Fidget: "E-Ever since you went away. W-What was it, a-a couple weeks?"

Dust: "Two weeks? Why? Why go through all that to end up like this?"

Her paw shakily moved up to his face, gently cupping and rubbing his face as her smile never faded from her own.

Fidget: "I-I wasn't ready to say goodbye... B-Because you were the only friend I had."

She hacked and coughed into her fist, shaking even more in his arms as her throat hurt. Dust could only wince to seeing his friend in such a terrible state of well being. He has seen her sick and was worried about it, but this was serious with how injured she was and how badly her fever burned. Without a hint of hesitation, holding her close to his chest, he quickly took his cape off to wrap her warmly and comfortable in a cloth cocoon.

Dust: "Don't worry Fidget, just hold in there for a little longer. I've got you."

Fidget only gave him a small smile while looking at him from hazy, tired eyes.

Fidget: "Aww, y-you were always the hero type, h-helping everyone and all that." *AH-CHOO!* *sniffle* "J-Just don't leave me like last time again. I can't follow wispy Dusty around like that."

Dust: "I won't, I promise not to."

Fidget: "Hm! Good. I'm... a little tired. W-Wake me up when we're... off this stupid mountain."

Worry washed over Dust's face to seeing his friend's eyes close and expression relax, holding an ear to her chest. He heard her labored breathing and heartbeat, allowing him some comfort that she was okay, but he didn't have time to stand around now. Holding the bundled Nimbat in his left arm, he turned to Ahrah, the Elysium Blade that chose to be his master, and removes him from the stone with a deft flick.

Dust: “Let's hurry back. The longer she's-“

Ahrah: "She will recover, Dust. I am sure of that. She is strong to have gone as far as she has come."

Dust: "Then I'm not going to give up on her. She didn't give up on me when I needed her the most. It's the least I can do for her."

Ahrah: "Your compassion and virtue is why I am honored to call you my master."

Dust: "..."

Dust: "Is this why you wanted me to come here?"

Ahrah: "Yes."

Dust: "Thank you, Ahrah."

With his friend held firmly in his arm, Dust left the old Cynthak ruins with haste, hoping to give Fidget a fighting chance.

* * *

The Nimbat felt as though she was dreaming, but also awake at the same time. Her weary eyes would catch glimpses of stuff that she could barely remember.

A sword slashing and striking into a crowd of Beasts and wolves alike.

Moving towards a village as the storm worsened.

Dust keeping an eye on her and comfort her.

Dust...

That was all she could think about at the time, just mentally and emotionally glad that the wolf was okay. And for that, she rest with ease for once in her life, the weight in her chest lifting as consciousness slipped from her emerald once again.

* * *

It was the smell of wood smoke and crackling of fire was the first thing Fidget sensed as consciousness came back to her.

She tried to open her eyelids, but they felt like they weigh a ton each. Her vision was hazy for quite some time until she slowly blinked a few times. Shapes became more detailed and her sense of touch returned to her in short twitches. Her trembling form was covered in a few warm blankets that kept her from feeling the cold, laying on a mattress. Her gaze traveled around the room, mostly empty but still livable. Then her gaze turned to a source of light that didn't go unnoticed to her. It was a fire, burning bright and warm close to her resting place, as a pot was left to cook something. Sitting next to it was Dust, the warrior she had been looking for more than two weeks, watching the pot with crossed arms and a solemn look. Ahrah wasn't far away as the sword rested against the stool Dust sat on. It was then that she realized two things.

One: Dust was missing his satgat.

Two: She was using it as a pillow.

Funny, how she called it a "stupid hat" before. It was surprisingly comfortable for a satgat. Ahrah seemed to notice Fidget's awakening more than Dust, who was deep in thought.

Ahrah: "Dust, it appears that Fidget has awoken from her restful slumber."

Straightening up to the Blade's words, Dust turns his upper body to the Nimbat in his care. His solemn expression was replaced with one of relief to seeing that she was alright. Fidget, when she was finished sneezing, looked up to see Dust walk over to where she rested and kneel next to her resting spot with a soft smile.

Dust: "Finally awake, I see. I hope my 'stupid hat' is to your liking."

This only caused Fidget to giggle even more.

Fidget: *sigh* "It's surprisingly comfy, for a 'stupid hat.' Thanks."

Moving his hand to her head, Fidget was surprised to see a damp cloth being removed, allowing the wolf to place the back of his hand on her head.

Dust: "Your fever seems to be going down at least, but you still feel warm. Can you move at all?"

Taking her time to feel her body out, she sits herself up in a painfully slow manner, moving the heavy pelts. Dust's hand on her back allowed her to sit up a little faster. When she fully sat up, her gaze went to the bandages that ringed around her body, mostly where she wasn't careful enough and injured herself. A glance back at her wings showed that they were a little bruised with a scratch here and there, but overall looked fine.

Dust moved away from her to allow her some breathing room, grabbing the ladle in the pot and scooping what looked to be chunky stew into a wooden bowl. Returning with a wooden spoon, he scoops some of the soup into the utensil and held it in front of the Nimbat's face. 

Dust: "Careful, it's hot."

Staring at the spoon for a moment, she gently blows onto the spoon of stew before eating the contents from the spoon. It actually tasted quite good, hearty and beef-flavored.

Fidget: "I-It tastes good."

Dust: "You sound surprised."

Fidget: "I just didn't expect you to be the cooking type."

Dust: "Thank you."

Handing her the bowl, Dust prepared his own bowl and sat on his stool, facing Fidget this time as the two ate the hearty stew. It was the silence that made Fidget lose her appetite, her thoughts wandering off to when Dust was engulfed in lava and flames, her lips creasing to a grimace before she finally spoke up.

Fidget: "What happened?"

Dust: "Huh?"

Fidget: "When you... When the Life Thread called to you. What happened to you?"

All the wolf did was stare at the Nimbat with a solemn look, setting his spoon and bowl down onto his lap.

Dust: "What felt like a mere second was actually three days, according to what Ahrah told me. I was so disconnected from the world. I was reborn in the Temple that held the Blade of Ahrah, brought back with Ahrah's connection to the Life Thread and my creation as the Sen-Mithrarin."

Fidget: "That's why I couldn't find you. I tried going to this mountain, but the dumb snow storms and monsters made it impossible to even fly up it. Even then, I doubt I would find that temple two weeks ago."

Ahrah: "You did go a little stir-crazy when you first came up here with Dust. Cold weather and Nimbats seem to mix poorly with each other."

Fidget: "Hey! I'm a Nimbat, we don't have the fur coats to go against snowstorms."

Dust: "Maybe wear a real coat next time. It actually helps a lot more than a scarf does."

Fidget: "We didn't have any in my clan!"

She threw the wooden spoon at him, which he dodged with a quick lean to his left, the spoon clattering on the ground behind him. An annoyed Fidget could only finish off the bowl without the spoon, calming down as she downed the stew. With a soft chuckle and sigh, Dust rose to his feet and grabbed Ahrah. This caught the Nimbat's attention, setting the empty bowl away from herself.

Fidget: "Where are you going?"

Dust: "I'm heading through the mountain to train and get some lumber for the fire."

The Nimbat's ears fold down to this, slowly getting the blankets off of herself.

Fidget: "Then let me come with you."

Dust: "You can't Fidget. You're in no shape to fight. Plus, you have a fever. You need to stay here where it's warm."

Just as his hand went to the door handle, he felt a soft thump against his waist that surprised him. Looking down, his surprise grew to seeing the orange Nimbat, not only moving from the bed to him in quick succession, but also jumped to wrap her arms around his waist and dangle from it, despite her weakened state. He could feel her trembling, not out of cold or fever, but a sense of fear and worry.

Fidget: "Then stay and keep me warm! But I'm not going to let you leave my sight again!"

Dust: "Fidget, I-"

Fidget: "You're my only friend! I searched for two whole weeks for you, and now that I found you, you're going to leave and... And.... I don't know what will happen then! Just... Please.... Please stay... At least until I fall asleep again. I-I just don't want to see you go away again."

The Sen-Mithrarin could only stare at his friend for a long time, his form relaxing and hand slipping away from the doorknob. He has never forgotten the friendship and loyalty of his Nimbat friend, but it seemed that he wasn't the only one that suffered from all this. He remembered the feeling he felt seeing the Nimbat's sorrow and teary eyes, one that hurt him even when he accepted the Life Thread's call. His self-isolation for so long was to train in secrecy, to be stronger than he was before. He wanted to be stronger to stand tall for himself and his friend. And now here he was, ready to leave the home like he always did for the last two weeks to train, but now his only friend in all of Falana was here that had been through her own hardships and suffering. Slowly, as he set Ahrah next to the door, he ringed his arms under hers, took hold of her in his arms and lifted her up until her chin rested on his shoulder, hugging her close to him. It surprised him how big she really was, possibly bigger than his torso. Did she grow?

Dust: "I won't be gone forever. But I can wait until you fall asleep. I promise to return."

Fidget: *sniffle* "P-Pinky promise?"

Smiling warmly, he takes one of her paws, feeling how close it was to his size, and wraps his pinky finger around hers.

Dust: "Pinky promise."

Fidget: "... Thank you."

Making his way over to the mattress, he kicks his boots off before settling himself onto the mattress, relaxing against the wall. Fidget slowly got comfortable in his arms, nuzzling into the underside of his chin and cling to his shirt with a soft sigh. He pulled one of the blankets over them to keep the Nimbat warm, making sure she was comfortable.

Dust: "Are you comfortable?"

Removing herself from under his chin, she could see the features on his face were illuminated by the fire's glow. How his smile pierced the silence in her head. How his eyes seemed to glow with the fire. And how warm he felt. Fidget was never this close to him, but now that he was, after so long, she didn't want to let go.

Fidget: "Y-Yeah, thanks, Dust."

Ahrah: "I will keep alert to any signs of danger."

Dust: "Thank you, Ahrah."

She watched him look off to somewhere, allowing her to stare at him for the longest time before she felt his arms wrap around her fully. The feeling of proximity made her heart heat up with a tingling warmth, one that slowly reached her cheeks. She laid her head against his chest, listening and feeling his own heartbeat through all the fur and fabric. The rhythmic thumping of it made her know that it wasn't some kind of sickness dream. It brought her a comfort she hadn't felt for a long time, one of security and care. 

Fidget: _'Why am I feeling this? It feels like my heart is burning up, but it's a good feeling. Why...?'_

Kneading at his shirt a few times allowed her to get comfortable in his hold, allowing her to nuzzle into it tenderly. A hand slowly raised to her head to tenderly pet and gently scratch it, an action that brought a warm smile to her face as slumber overtook her.

Fidget: _'It doesn't matter, Dust is back. And I'm glad.'_

When sleep finally took her, the wolf actually stayed there, falling asleep with his Nimbat friend as the storm raged on outside and the fire slowly died. They were reunited once again.

**Author's Note:**

> I decided to cut out a section from the last story to be used in this chapter, but I hope you all like it! It may be a while until I make another chapter, but the next one will begin progression of the story I plan on doing. Until then, I hope you enjoy and see you later!


End file.
